Pope to Spanish seminarians: 'Follow the example of St. John Vianney'

By Lisa Zengarini

Pope Francis on Saturday welcomed to the Vatican seminarians and community members of the Major Seminary of “Nuestra Señora de los Apóstoles” (Our Lady of the Angels) in Getafe, Spain, as they mark the 30th anniversary of the foundation with a pilgrimage to the Tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul.

Introducing his address, the Pope warmly thanked the group for the visit and expressed his hope that their Roman pilgrimage will also help their spiritual preparation for the Jubilee of 2025.

Heed the example of the patron of parish priests

Pope Francis then went on to speak about the gift of their priestly vocation. He invited the seminarians to always keep in mind, during their formation, the example of St. John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests.  He recalled that the “total dedication to God and his parishioners” of the famous French parish priest, known as the Curé d’Ars, embodied the love that Christ demonstrated to His followers.

Noting that being a Good Shepherd, as Jesus was and is, is demanding, Pope Francis urged them to follow Jesus’ steps by taking care of four fundamental aspects: spiritual life, study, community life and apostolic activity.

Devote yourselves to God, the poor and the excluded

The Pope emphasized the importance of harmonizing these four dimensions because, he said, “the Lord, and the Church, expect you seminarians to be, first of all, men of integrity and generous in responding to the vocation received, always available to listen and forgive, determined to live your total dedication to God and your brothers to the full, with a particular predilection for those who suffer most, for the poor and the excluded.”

Pope Francis concluded his address by pleading that the Lord Jesus might always be “the centre of your life for each of you, to shape your heart according to His, to always keep you very close to his heart. He also prayed that  Our Lady of the Angels patron of Getafe may accompany them in  their journey to priesthood.